A man who was set to be arraigned on Wednesday, Sept. 25, allegedly threw a bag with explosives inside a California courthouse, authorities said.
During a press conference, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Craig Bonner said officers received a report of an “explosion” near the Santa Maria courthouse at around 8:48 a.m. local time.
“The initial report included that a single individual entered the facility and threw a bag at the screening station [and] that bag exploded,” he added.
The suspect, who Bonner later identified as 20-year-old Nathaniel McGuire, was detained outside the courthouse as he was entering a vehicle alone. McGuire was “wearing body armor underneath his jacket,” said Bonner, and did not have injuries from the explosion.
Authorities quickly evacuated nearby buildings such as a school and homes as a local bomb squad cleared the courthouse, surrounding areas, the suspect’s car and his home.
After speaking with McGuire, officials learned that his motivation “appeared to have stemmed from his recent arrest” on July 28 for firearms violations, Bonner added. In that incident, police had found a concealed revolver in McGuire’s pants pocket that was not registered under his name. His arraignment was set for Wednesday morning at the courthouse.
According to Bonner, officials are also investigating whether McGuire could also be connected to some recent arson cases.
He was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, using an explosive device in attempting to kill someone and possession of explosive devices. He is being held without bail.
“We are not absolutely ruling out that there is not something larger at play but at this time we do believe that this is a local matter that has been safely resolved and there are no outstanding community safety concerns,” said Bonner.
The official said that following the incident, “four victims were transported from the scene to an area hospital, and one additional victim arrived at the hospital on their own. Three of the five people seen at the hospital were physically injured with non-life-threatening injuries, including burns. All of these victims were treated and released by the hospital.”
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department also addressed the incident, sharing in a statement on X that it was “on heightened alert and providing extra patrols in and around our courts.”
“At this time there are no credible threats to any courthouses in Los Angeles County,” the statement added.
The City of Santa Barbara, which had closed several nearby buildings in response to the “bomb explosion,” shared in an update on Wednesday night that “it will be business as usual Thursday morning.”
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Attorney’s Office, and the FBI are continuing to investigate the incident. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office also said on X that it is actively monitoring the situation.
